1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a sportsboard, and more particularly to a locking apparatus and method for a sportsboard.
2. Description of Related Arts
Sports and recreational activities involving a board apparatus onto which a recreational user mounts and propels himself and the board along surfaces of water or snow have a large consumer and professional base of participation worldwide. Activities involving such boards include but are not limited to: surfing, wind sailing/surfing, wake riding, snowboarding, kayaking, skating and the like. The board device utilized in such activities will be collectively referred to herein as a sportsboard.
Developments in the sportsboard""s functional and appearance features; the board""s inherent performance; and general quality of materials and manufacture require participants to make substantial monetary investments in the sportsboard apparatus. Yet the size, structure and fragility of materials used in the sportsboard""s manufacture does not lend the sportsboard to readily be secured by the activity participant from theft, particularly in the outdoor environment of such recreational activities, i.e. beach, waterfronts, parks, mountain trails, etc.
Efforts to secure sportsboards and the like in these outdoor, recreational environments have included: methods of wrapping or sandwiching substantial planar portions of the sportsboard in metal plates, cables and the like secured to stationary articles; and to utilize devices intended to be attached to hardware comprising the sportsboard itself. These methods and devices have disadvantages including: they are cumbersome to use; limited in practicality and effectiveness; and requiring the use of custom sportsboard design features, thereby inhibiting their widespread use and effectiveness with sportsboards having standard design features.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,649 to Spence describes and claims a lock apparatus attachable to a cross bar positioned in a surfboard article, the apparatus locking thereto and including a cable attaching the surfboard to a stationary article. This Spence ""649 apparatus utilizes the surfboard""s deck plug cross bar the purpose of which is for attaching a nylon or like cord thereto, the cord serving as a leash type tether upon its attachment to the user""s ankle. Thus, the locking device must be compatible with, and not interfere with, such leash cord or its functioning as the ""649 apparatus surrounds the crossbar within the annular space between the apparatus""s outer casing and the deckplug recess""s inner surface. In this regard, the apparatus described in the ""649 patent functions with little regard for protecting the leash cord tether. This is evident from FIGS. 1-3 and the close quartered interaction of a notched bolt end sliding concentric to an outer casing and interacting with casing end slots to surround the cross bar within the close quartered plug recess.
An additional shortcoming of the ""649 apparatus involves the environmental and confined space in which its multiplicity of close tolerance, moving parts function, namely the harsh and corrosive environments including natural and salt water and abrasive sand and dirt particles. The presence of corrosion and salt residue, dirt or sand within or between the apparatus""s moving part surfaces invite wear and inhibited motion or seizing during device operation. Further, the engagement end of the apparatus""s casing end limits its use to deck plug recesses that are formed as flat-ended cylinders dimensioned compatibly with the device""s engagement end. This engagement end will not functional nor engage crossbars within curved, spherical ended cylinders found in many standard sportsboard designs. Thus, the Spence device is limited to use with flat-ended bottom deck plug designs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,754 to McKenzie discloses a locking device for surfboards including: a hooked end ratchet blade for engaging the surfboard""s cross bar, a device plug to engage flush with the deck surface of the board, and a mechanism within the plug to lock the ratchet blade thereby locking the device to the deck plug cross bar and further employing a cable for subsequent attachment of the assembly to a stationary object to prevent theft.
The ""754 device relies upon the ratchet blade to pass through the device plug and to slide-ably engage a locking mechanism utilizing the blades teeth. This must be accomplished in the salt water and sand environments the surfboard encounters. Here, corrosion and salt residue, sand, and dirt within or between the device""s moving parts invite wear and inhibited motion or seizing during device operation.
Although the McKenzie device recognizes the importance of not interfering with the standard leash cord within and without the cup recess, its notch at the bottom edge of the device plug provides inadequate accommodation to the leash cord as evidenced by the requirement that the bottom surface of the device plug is sufficiently large to completely cover the cup recess to prevent thieves from prying the cup out of the recess.
The present invention discloses a sportsboard locking apparatus to be secured to standard design features on such sportsboards, namely a fixed cross bar within a recessed plug located below the outer surface of the sportsboard and intimate with the board""s core body. The term sportsboard is intended to include but not be limited to board devices useful in activities such as: surfing, wind sailing/surfing; wake riding, snowboarding, kayaking, skating and the like.
In the preferred version of the invention, a simple, robust hook and a pin element combine to enclose the cross bar within the recessed plug volume. The positioning of the pin element proximal to the hook element is completed with minimal interaction with the cross bar or its leash cord. While the locking apparatus is comprised of simple parts with limited moving interaction between elements, the cross bar is securely engaged below the sportsboard""s outer surface while those apparatus elements above the board""s outer surface are free to rotate independent of the hook and pin elements. The low profile and footprint of the engaged apparatus does not adversely affect the board""s outer surface from interacting with other objects, i.e. stacked boards, locating on carry racks, etc.
While the assembled locking apparatus is flush to the outer surface of the sportsboard, its design accounts for the presence and function of the standard leash cord tether and does not adversely occlude the recessed plug""s opening nor damages the leash cord tether. Once the primary mechanical elements of the locking apparatus intimate to the sportsboard are engaged, a padlock and cable are introduced to provide a means of securing the sportsboard to a stationary article via the locking apparatus.
The device is inexpensive to manufacture and assemble due to the simple design and functioning of its parts. The simple interaction of the apparatus""s parts and ancillary security elements minimizes sportsboard engagement steps and makes it easy to use.
Therefore, it is an object of the preferred embodiment of the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art with numerous benefits and advantages inherent in the form and function disclosed herein including:
Given the salt, sand and dirt the environments to which such sportsboards are exposed, the present invention features simple part design with limited moving interaction so that these environments are not likely to invite wear, inhibit motion, nor experience seizing of parts during device operation.
While firmly engaging the sportsboard""s cross bar recessed below the board""s outer surface, the apparatus""s elements above the board""s outer surface are free to rotate and spin relative to the cross bar therein. Unlike prior devices which grip surfboard elements such as the cross bar, the present device""s rotation and spin features relative to the cross bar limit rocking motion and prevent twisting motions which would act to pull the recessed plug from the sportsboard""s body in an effort to damage or steal a locked sportsboard.
Exposure of the leash cord tether to wear or damage is minimized since: the hook and pin elements which engage the cross bar are positioned in a simple manner that does not require deliberate care in interaction; although flush with the outer surface of the sportsboard, the apparatus above the outer board surface rotates or spins independent of the hook and pin elements engaging the cross bar thereby limiting adverse interaction; the opening of the recessed plug at the sportsboard""s surface is not adversely occluded thereby limiting the opportunity for damage.
The apparatus""s design and manner in which it engages the cross bar permits its use with multiple deck plug designs including those plugs utilizing flat bottom or flat ended cylinders as well as curved, spherical ended cylinders. This enables the present apparatus to be used with more than custom sportsboards and improves its widespread acceptance and ease of use.
The limited number of components involved, the simple design features and their limited interaction, and the limited assembly requirements of the present apparatus carry a modest cost of raw materials, manufacture and assembly while its adaptability to varied types of sportsboards is great without requiring custom modifications and presents an affordable product that is easy to use.